The FCT Ministerial Task Team on Traffic Control , on Sunday demolished an ilegal fence erected by a bank and some commercial buildings at Dutse -Alhaji , following the expiration of a 72 – hour ultimatum issued to the owners.
News Agency of Nigeria reports that the bulldozers pulled down parts of the perimeter fence of the bank and some commercial buildings located by the roadside on the busy Dutse -Alhaji axis connecting Bwari and other adjoining towns to the city centre .
Also , the bulldozers dismantled several makeshift structures within a shanty on the street, just behind the commercial properties to ensure owners easily access their plots .
Equally , cement and wood dealers who were allegedly trading illegally in the street were also cleared .
Addressing journalists during the exercise on Sunday in Abuja , Chairman of the task team , Mr Ikharo Attah , restated the determination of the FCT administration to rid the city of traffic congestion .
Attah directed the bank and the occupants of the commercial buildings to use their approved entrance point which was in a street behind.
He also directed property owners in the area to close their current entrance , which was in violation of the approved building plan .
“What happened here is a distortion of the approved land use . The entrance of the commercial property are contributing immensely to the traffic bottleneck on the Dutse -Alhaji to Bwari road .”
Also speaking , Vice Chairman of the task team , Mr Rasheed Ahmed , warned that land use violations in the FCT would no longer be tolerated .
Ahmed , who is also the Chief Security Officer ( CSO ) to the FCT Minister , reiterated that any impediment against free flow of traffic must be tackled with urgency .
On her part, the Development Control Department Officer for Dutse -Alhaji and Dawaki Districts , Blessing Chidozie , warned the affected property owners not to reopen the prohibited acces points.
She added that the full wrath of the law would be visited on anybody who violates the order.

Source:NAN

PERISCOPE (Vol 1. Number 8)
I would like to begin this week by thanking all those who either through calls, emails, text messages, visits, messenger or WhatsApp commisserate me with me last week when I was under the weather. I am grateful for the show of love. This column was absent last week. But am back…now! I write on Nigeria this week. Enjoy it. Please.
NIGERIA: THE PARADOX OF A NATION
It’s almost impossible not to talk about Nigeria and Nigerians. You meet them everywhere in the world. It is the most populous black nation on earth. People talk about us, Nigerians, for our ground breaking achievements and of course, for our terribleness.
Here are some reasons:
It is only in Nigeria that leaders claim they have built world class hospitals only to fly to India or the UK for medical treatment, even to check their blood sugar level. They never go close to the hospital they claimed to have built after commissioning. Not them, or their families.
Nigerians have been heralded as one of the most educated citizens living in foreign countries. And that is true, yet the level of illiteracy in the country is one of the highest in perhaps the whole of sub-saharan Africa.
Nigeria is a place where every weekend is a celebration; bars filled up, colourful marriage celebrations filled the land, religious services echoing to heaven and even burial’s of aged relatives call for a party.
A country where leaders continue to convince the youths that “You are the leaders of tomorrow” but the same leaders have done all they can to remain in power. And I have heard this plattitude since I was born in the early 70s. Now, I am no longer a youth and have not yet tasted power. Maybe till am 65. So when will the youth of today come to leadership, when am next in line? Which tomorrow are we talking about? Or, is tomorrow a name of place?
Nigeria is country that is still at the top of the jollof rice pyramid in West Africa despite the fact that our minister of information, Lai Muhammed, gave that credit to Senegal. Nigerian jollof rice is still the best! Some mistresses have pried husbands out of the hands of their wives because of their prowess in cooking jollof rice. Afterall, it is said, “The best way to a man’s stomach is through his mouth.”
Nigeria is a country recently awarded the infamous title of the poverty capital of the world. But our Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Sabo Nanono, said in early October 2019 that, “there is no hunger in Nigeria”. Whom shall we believe? Our minister? The West who said Nigeria is poverty capital of the world? Or the hunger in our bellies? Yet we have a government that still makes us believe we are faring well, economically. Are we still the largest economy in Africa?
Nigeria is a religious country. We bicker over spaces to build churches or mosques. Even in government offices one would see grandiose chapels mosques occupying grand spaces. The country is headquarters of many churches. The nation is a land of miracle workers. Home of rich private-jet-owning pastors and home of very poor members.
Nigeria is country where the political leadership has successfully out-maneuvered and enslaved the citizenry and has kept them begging for a drop of crumbs from their tables. The masses could continue fighting for their longevity and hoping against hope. How do the masses fight for longevity? Where there are no drugs in hospitals, they resort to prayers and herbs; where the is no food, they eat whatever is available. They do not have monies to educate their young and so they made street hawkers out of them. Nigeria is country where citizens have given up on their government and have launched war on survival: battling against every odd, starting businesses to fight hunger and rewrite family histories. We give ourselves water by digging wells or having our own bore holes. We generate our own electricity – with our (I pass my neighbour) Generators. We don’t even demand electricity and water from Government again. Too much luxury!
Nigeria is a nation where the citizens have all become vigilantes who guard and protect themselves because most of the police and paramilitary (who should do that) are now the private security guards of the elites. Take a trip to Maitama or Asokoro in Abuja and major GRAs in Nigeria and you would see Policemen and Soldiers guarding empty houses, parked cars and sleeping wives and children of politicians. One politician can have up to 100 police officers guarding his houses in Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt etc.
Nigeria is a nation where citizens have come to realize that Democracy is a demonstration of madness. They now see it as a sick system that has giving the bigger tribes and the ruling parties power to continue to determine the future of the others in the worst possible way while making it look pretty.
Nigeria is a country where there are no jobs for graduates. A country where one 100,000 peole jostle for 100 available positions in a company or government office that wants to employ qualified personnel. The good news is, they are all qualified for the job! A tough choice for the company, and tough luck for applicants.
Nigeria is the only country that laughs to ease away of our pains and poverty. Rather than buy gari, we can pay N1000 gate fee to see some comedians (at night of a thousand laughs events or it’s equivalent) to entertain us with laughter so that we momentarily forget our sorrows. We are the country that could block a government road because of a marriage or a burial ceremony, thereby causing the most dreadful of traffic.
We are the only country where people write “not for sale” and “beware of 419” on their property. Some of my visiting friends from the USA would not stop making jokes about this when they stayed in my place a year ago.
Nigeria is a country where a taxi driver carrying crate of eggs is more careful than the one carrying human beings. Funny, but true.
A country where the most effective way to convince people to do a thing is to ask them never to do it. And vice versa.
Nigeria is country where one could experience one of the closest relationships within and outside the family. Whatever you own is also a property of your close relatives and friends. Where one choose to say no to such an arrangement an arrangement he or she is dubbed a “wicked person.” Most women won’t feel comfortable in her husbands house without the blessings of her husband’s close relatives.
A country where activities like sport, music, marriage, burial and birthday celebrations could unite sworn enemies. No, not religion, that’s where enemity starts.
Why won’t the world talk about Nigeria?
A country where everything is complete? Our news stations have a big story to tell every day. On a good day, either a Nigerian has done something absolutely beautiful or terribly wrong. Life is drama down here. A game of thrones. Traveling our roads requires bravado and strong cars because of insecurity and bad state of our roads.
Nigeria, my land of plenty paradoxes.

THE Chief press secretary to the Edo State Deputy Governor , Musa Ebomhiana , has denied the allegation that his boss , Comrade Philip Shaibu , led the attack on the Oba of Lagos and other dignitaries at the All Progressives Congress ’ National Chairman , Adams Oshiomhole’s house .
He said the deputy governor was on the entourage of the Governor when the unfortunate incident happened and could not have led the attack on the dignitaries .
He said , “The Deputy Governor could not have caused the unfortunate incident that happened this evening . The Governor , his deputy, Oba of Lagos and their entourage were at the gate of the National Chairman of our great party , comrade Adams Oshiomhole to pay him the usual homage since they were in his domain .
“Surprisingly , the large crowd that gathered at the gate brutally attacked the convoy , destroying three cars in the process . The convoy had to quickly turn and came back to the varsity campus .
“So , how did the DG cause it, could he have arranged his own attack? In fact, they were there on the invitation of the Comrade himself .”

Josiah Habila, Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the extension of the closure of Nigeria ’s border with neighbouring countries to January 31 , next year.
The exercise code -named operation Exercise Swift Response had resulted in joint border operations by a combined team of security agencies .
The Deputy Comptroller of Customs in charge of Enforcement , Investigation and Inspectorate , Victor Dimka , conveyed the Presidential directive in a memo to the Sector Coordinators.

The memo with reference number NCS / ENF / ABJ / 221 / S .45 , and marked “Restricted ” was dated November 1 , 2019 .
The memo which was obtained by our correspondent on Sunday said that despite the overwhelming success of the operation , particularly the security and economic benefits to the nation , a few strategic objectives are yet to be achieved .
It said the need to achieve the strategic objectives of the exercise informed the extension of this phase by the President .
It assured operatives that are involved in the joint operations that their allowances would be paid .
When contacted, the Public Relations Officer, NCS, Mr Joseph Attah confirmed the development in a telephone interview with our correspondent on Sunday.
The memo reads in part, “I am directed to inform you that it is observed that despite the overwhelming success of the operation , particularly the security and economic benefits to the nation , a few strategic objectives are you to be achieved .
“ Against this background , Mr President has approved the extension of the exercise to January 31 , 2020 .
“Consequently , you are requested to convey the development to all personnel for their awareness and guidance .
“Meanwhile , allowance for personnel sustenance and fuelling of vehicles for the period of extension will be paid as soon as possible.
“This is for your information and necessary action , please .”

Director General of Department of State Services , Mr Yusuf Bichi has said that the closure of the Nigerian land borders has helped to curb the movement of firearms into the country .
Nigeria closed its land borders with neighbouring countries in August , in order to stop the smuggling of banned items into the country .
According to Channels Television , Bichi said this on Saturday at the graduation ceremony of the Executive Intelligence Management Course of the National Institute for Security Studies in Abuja.

Bichi said , “The recent closure of our borders attest to what we intend to achieve despite the criticism , the closure of our borders so far , have succeeded in checkmating not only smuggling of goods that are illegally brought into the country , even firearms and then checkmating the movement of people that are likely to undermine the security of this country .”

Jatmak Solomon, Jos

The Jos Division of the Court of Appeal has fixed November 4 , 2019 to rule in a petition challenging the victory of Rt Hon Yusuf Adamu Gagdi during the last general election .
The petition was filed by the House of Representatives candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Hon Timothy Golu and his party with the Independent National Electoral Commission and the All Progressives Congress as the first and third respondents respectively .
Golu’s aid, Mr Bulus Sanda confirmed the development to our correspondent in Jos on Saturday .

He said “The appeal filed by the House of Representatives candidate of the PDP, Hon Timothy Golu and his party over the Pankshin, Kanke and Kanam Federal Constituency election has been fixed for November 4 , 2019 for ruling. We are in receipt of the notice by the Jos Division of the Court of Appeal for ruling on the matter and we are hopeful that Golu and his party will get justice when judgement is delivered .”
The National Assembly Election Petition sitting in Jos had in September dismissed the petition of Timothy Golu and the PDP over the matter and ruled that Gagdi was validly elected during the last general elections

Hon Alh Dayyabu Yusuf Garga was born in Garga of kanam LGA in 1966. He attended Garga central primary school between 1975 and 1980.he equally moved on to GSS Garga from 1981-1985
Hon.Dayyabu Yusuf Garga also attended Plateau state polytechnic between 2006-2008.in his quest for knowledge,he proceeded also to Nassarawa state university Keffi from 2017 till date.
Hon D Y Garga is an astute business mogul.he has held many positions which includes:
Chairman NUPENG plateau state chapter from 1999-2007,Northern zonal chairman NUPENG 2005-2008,National secretary PTD/NUPENG 2004-2012,2nd Deputy National chairman PTD/NUPENG 2012-2015.Hon Garga was also a board member NIPSS 2006-2007.Hon Dayyabu Garga was appointed commissioner for Local Government and chieftaincy Affairs plateau state by his excellency Rt.Hon Simon Bako Lalong 2015-2019 which his performance in the ministry has earn him another reappointment in the rescue mission phase 2 administration of Rt. Hon. Barr. Simon Bako Lalong into the ministry for physical planning and urban development.
Hon D Y Garga has toured many countries of the world including:USA,UK,Italy,Ghana,Dubai,Saudi Arabia among others.Hon Garga was the Amirul Hajj of the plateau state contingents to Saudi Arabia on holy pilgrimage 2017.
Hon Dayyaby Garga is a great philanthropist and a founder DAYYABU GARGA FOUNDATION.Hon Garga has given scholarship to many students from his community.he has to his credit so many community development projects as part of his quest to give back to the society.
Hon Alh Dayyabu Yusuf Garga,a man with a golden heart……….

Some of his achievements are.

1 he offered scholarship to 50 less privileges students in college of education kangere and 5 students from FCE pankshin.

2 100 solar light that he mounted in garga.

3 he dug some boreholes in jom, kyansar,dugub,dakatdi, gidgid and many other places.

4 he organise a medical outreach to kanam local government.

5 he lobby and secured a job for almost about 19 people both in private sector and government sector.

6 he dug a dam in dakatdi which the dame is named as dakatdi dam and many more which if i should mention all, i will go on, and on and on without counting them all so
i think, when it comes to basic amenities of life, this man has done incredibly well in that part so, am calling all plateau youths to key into garga political platform for better representation and good governance.

Following the discovery of hydrocarbon of both gas and oil in Kolmani River 11 of the Barambu exploration site in Alkaleri Local Government Area of Bauchi State by the NNPC, the host communities have erupted in jubilation as ‘heavy machines’ move to site ahead of oil exploration in the North. However, residents of host communities stated that they didn’t want to experience what is happening in Niger Delta where decades of oil exploration have led to massive environmental degradation. Expressing joy over the proposed oil exploration, a resident of one of the host communities, Alhasan Abbas Musa, 55, said that the community is happy with the oil discovery in their land. He added that they are already advanced in age, hoping that the oil would be of benefit to their children.

He said: “It is my hope that the oil will benefit the whole of Arewa people and it would also be of benefit to all Nigerians and even beyond.” He appreciated the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari for what he called his tireless effort and commitment to seeing that oil exploration is a reality in the North as he said that many past administrations had failed or rejected the idea that there was oil deposit in the area.

“Our expectation is that when the exploration proper starts, government would give our youths work because we have a lot of them who have finished school without jobs. We have people with degree without work; some of them are selling sugarcane, Kola, while others are engaged in petty trade.

We want government to consider them for employment in various fields.” According to Musa, his people are not really bothered about what becomes of their farming occupation, as he said they are ready to relocate from their houses to other places, as all they want is to see that oil exploration commences. Another resident, Alhaji Bakoji Gwaram, 87, explained that, during Independence he was a youth and got married to his first wife and that since then he had been hearing of oil discovery in Alkaleri but nothing had been done about it.

Gwaram said: “The oil story to us was just like a joke, because same thing was said about one of the roads in the area, that it would be constructed but nothing happened. The last time a road was constructed was during Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa regime from Bauchi to Gombe.

But now that the government appears serious about the oil thing, we are very happy as we are expecting that it will bring the needed development to our communities. God has finally remembered us. We are very grateful for this.” Also, Adamu Yellow Kachiciya, 36, told our correspondent that as a community they thank God for the oil discovery in their communities.

“Before now people from other parts of the country see us as parasites but today God has decided to bring us to their level by depositing oil in our land, we are no longer parasites. God has vindicated the North; it is our prayer that government should start the exploration in earnest, which we believe will be of benefit to the whole of this nation and even to our unborn children.”

He said their expectation from government is to develop the state like any other state in the federation, saying the state had been left behind in education, infrastructural development while also lacking other social amenities. Kachiya said: “Now we have the opportunity to develop like them and walk with our shoulders high because we now have what it takes to develop as a nation.”

He however, pleaded that the government should plan properly so as not to affect their farming activities “because that is our occupation and it is important to our lives. If it will adversely affect our farming, then viable companies, suitable to our people should be established to avoid the rise in social vices, which may also lead to breakdown of law and other.

In a similar vein, on the need for them not to have the Niger Delta experience, Mr. Sarki Shanu Alkaleri, said they received the news of the oil discovery in their land with mixed feelings. The 42-year-old Anguwan resident said they have been hearing of a lot of negative implications in places where oil had been discovered and explored, hoping that such would not happen in their communities.

He suggested that government should look for those living in the areas, especially those whose farms will be affected and provide them with adequate and lasting palliative measures and solution before the exploration begins, to avert what is going on in the Niger Delta region. According to him, government should also provide enough security to tackle all other challenges and social vices associated with oil exploration and provide youths with necessary jobs that fits their qualifications.

Haruna said: “We are fully aware of what is going on in Niger Delta because of oil and we would not like that to happen here in the North. What we want is that government should provide solutions to those challenges and even tackle them before the exploration proper commences in Bauchi State.”

He said that they are aware of how lands have been degraded, and water polluted with increase in kidnapping, and other social vices but hopes that the situation would be different in the North. “Our expectation is that government would take proper care of the environment and all the risks associated with oil exploration. We may stop farming if the exploration starts proper and if the lands are taken by government, because we believe that petroleum work is not a joke; it may reduce our farming capacity and produce.

“We are also aware of the challenge of drinking water and environmental damages; that is why we are calling on government to provide alternative before work starts or before we reach the stage where things would be out of hand like in the Niger Delta.” Bala Mohammed Sani of Sarkin Tasha Alkaleri, age 40, said they knew that there was oil in Alkaleri before the coming of this administration but that President Buhari is the only president that had the will to make it a reality. “We believe that the oil exploration would bring development to our society and Nigeria in general, and help to boost our economic activities and create jobs opportunities for all Nigerians,” he said. Sani added: “We are fully aware of what is going on in the Niger Delta region; it’s been the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Ogoni land as we heard has been destroyed completely as a result of the oil exploration there. But we also know that if government wants to do something it will do it that is the reason why we are pleading now so that we don’t experience such here in the North. “With regards to the issue of land degradation we expect government to provide lasting solution before exploration starts and provide laws that will guide the host communities and those working there, to avoid a repeat of what is happening in the Niger Delta as a result of the oil exploration.

“We know that if the exploration commences we cannot no longer farm on our lands, especially irrigation farming. So, we want government to be mindful of all this and provide alternatives in the course of the exploration. The oil activities could stop us from farming but that will be gradual and we can only stop when the land is completely affected by the exploration.

We depend on farming to survive as we have no other occupation than that. so, before we could stop farming, the government should provide suitable alternative so as to avoid breakdown of law and order.” Sani also said they are ever willing to welcome visitors and workers that will work on the sites: “We are willing to receive visitors from all parts of the country and even foreigners.

We already have good relations with those working here at the site, we have rented our houses to them; we interact, eat together and live peacefully with one another without differences and we hope to continue in that manner.” He added that strangers, who have bad motive or intentions, would not be welcomed in their communities.

“The people of these communities are much excited with the oil discovery because we are hoping that it would reduce poverty in our midst, create jobs and improve the economy of Nigeria. In Arewa, farming is our major occupation, together with animal husbandry. Oil will not stop us from farming completely but it will reduce drastically.

“Our expectation is that government should pay full compensation to the land owners as it promised us earlier since we can no longer farm there. Payment of timely compensation would really help us to move on with our lives” Alhaji Dauda, senior Magajin Rafin Duka, in Pali district of Alkaleri, 64, revealed that as communities they have many expectations from government, especially to renovate or reconstruct their dilapidated schools and moribund hospitals as the exploration kicks off. He said: “We also expect that government would send our children to schools to become experts in those fields of oil and management while employing others as labourers since the oil is discovered in our backyards. We are looking for food and food has come to our doorsteps; we will look for another place to continue with our farming occupation rather than to stop the oil exploration.

“We expect that government would look for a place and build us houses there; we are ever ready to leave and start a new life elsewhere. We see nothing wrong if we are relocated from this place. We will receive visitors of good character and we will report the bad ones to the proper authorities. “It is our belief that we in the North will not have same problem similar to what is happening in the Niger Delta because we have respect and regard for our parents and traditional leaders. We are ready to listen to what they may tell us regarding security and we are ready to support them to find solutions to the menace.

“It is our prayers that all the challenges they face in Niger Delta would not happen here we, don’t want them to happen here. We don’t want to experience what they are experiencing because of oil and we will continue to be loyal to our leaders so that we can achieve this.” Also Speaking, Usman Mohammed Bello, a resident of Felfelu, Alkaleri South, 54, said that he is now very sure that the discovery of oil is real because those working at the site would tell them that they have small quantity of the product in their houses, which is good news to all of us as Nigerians.

“We are expecting that this exploration would bring rapid development to our communities and government should try to do justice to everyone and assist the host community by paying timely compensation and early relocation of residents. We heard that there would be problem of farming and animal husbandry but we are hoping that government would do something about it by employing most of our youths and site companies here that would provide jobs for both the skilled and unskilled youth of our communities.

“Since we can no longer farm there, government should replace farming with job creation and avoid what is happening in the Niger Delta.” Another villager, Alhaji Maina Alkaleri, 75, said: “We want to tell everyone that oil that has been discovered in Alkaleri is not for Alkaleri people alone but it is for all Nigerians and we thank God for depositing it in our communities. We thank President Buhari for his resilience, effort and support to see that our oil is been excavated.

We want government to employ our youths, especially those with requisite qualifications since the oil is in our areas. “If the story of oil discovery is true we wouldn’t mind if the whole of Alkaleri would be relocated to another place. We want the oil to be the source of revenue to Nigeria and to uplift the country’s economy like that of Saudi Arabia,” Alkaleri said.

The Honourable Member Representing Pankshin South Constituency in the 9th Assembly Hon .Bar. Henry Soembis Longs welcome the leaders of Sihin Community Development Association (SICODA) in his office at the state assembly complex.

The National president who led the delegation Mr C.C Dakik first appreciated the Honourable Member for his swift response during the collapse of their bridge.
He added that the good people people of Sihin will ever remain grateful for the demonstration of love shown to them during their moment of pains, recalling when the member visited the affected area to see for himself the level of damage.

The Member while responding , expressed delight for their coming, with smiles he also said the time to match words with actions has come.
As part of his own contribution for the reconstruction of the affected part of the bridge, the Honourable Member donated the sum of two hundred thousand naira..
Lastly, he reaffirmed to them his commitment to service and wish them journey mercies back to their various destinations.

@LMT
For :Hon Barr Henry Soembis Longs
Member representing Pankshin South Constituency.

Just like the legendary R&B Artiste, Mark Morrison hit song in 1996 titled “Return of the Mack” and American Rapper, Mason Durell Betha “Mase” in 2004 with the Album “Welcome back” after a short exile from the Music Industry so is the case of Rep. Simon Mwadkwon, PhD who after a short break of 4 years returned with a huge agenda to better the lives of the Constituents and transform Barkin Ladi/Riyom Federal Constituency positively.

As a Member of the 7th National Assembly which ran between 2011-2015, Rep. Dr. Simon Mwadkwon was able to lobby and attract huge infrastructural projects and employment opportunities to Barkin Ladi and Riyom LGAs.

These projects are visible in all the 8 Districts in his Federal Constituency.

He lobbied and influenced gainful employment to over 60 youths into the mainstream of the Federal Civil Service within and without his Federal Constituency not to forget his empowerment programmes and activities.
He has assisted many even when he left the National Assembly for 4 years before he returned to continue from where he stopped in 2015 and even do better.

Rep. Dr. Simon Mwadkwon has been in constant touch with the people hence the name “Grassroot Disciple”

So far, he has sponsored 21 Bills, raised 3 motions and participating fully in debates and other legislative engagement. His sound and robust legislations are attestation to his wealth of experience, skills and knowledge of the lawmaking processes.

So far, he has lobbied and influenced the employment of over 20 youths within 6 Months of his stay as Member of the 9th National Assembly.

With the aforementioned, it is obvious that the return of Rep. Simon Mwadkwon, PhD as Member Federal House of Representatives for Barkin Ladi/Riyom Federal Constituency of Plateau State is a great blessing to his Constituency, State and nation at large as he is indisputably adding immense value to legislation, national discourse and nation building.

With the Grassroot Disciple, Rep. Dr. Simon Mwadkwon, Barkin Ladi/Riyom Fed. Constituency is in safe hands as he has consistently reiterated his commitment to people-oriented projects, programmes and sound legislation.

We pray God give him the ability to achieve his well planned agenda for the people, State and Nation at large.

GrassrootDiscipleRepDrSimonMwadkwon